As much as we wish every member of our community here at Jobipedia had secure and gainful employment right now, we know that more people have filed unemployment claims in the last few weeks than ever before in U.S. history. It’s a time of uncertainty and an unprecedented job market to navigate.

Many members of our community have spoken out about how this situation feels confusing because it’s so undefined. We’re not sure how long this will go on or how long it will take the job market to fully recover. What’s our suggestion if you’re job hunting right now?

Find a short-term solution that can carry you through.

This pandemic has such a widespread effect on the global community that normal rules don’t really apply. No one will fault you for taking a job outside of your career path, leaving a position after a short window of time, or having a gap in your employment during this season.

This is the time to make choices that will get you through the next few months. Your dream job and your career goals aren’t canceled, but pursuing them might look different right now.

Think outside of your current career box. If your work is in any way related to travel, entertainment, or the service industry - you’ve likely already experienced the impact of coronavirus in your company. Consider looking for a short-term job within the industries that are operating at above-normal capacity to carry us through the pandemic. Companies like Amazon, Trader Joe’s, Zoom, and Blue Apron are all hiring for temporary positions to deal with the influx of need for their services.

How do you make the most of this time and boost your hirability? Our hiring experts have a few recommendations.

Polish Your Resume

Because most of the hiring process during this time is going to be done virtually, your resume is all the more important as your first impression with your potential employer.

Christianna, Hiring Expert at BNY Mellon, shares, “Gaining the initial attention of a company can be difficult, which is why you should sculpt your resume toward each position and company to which you apply. Each position and company has a different mission, culture and business strategy. Taking the extra time to research a company to learn more about its goals and core values and incorporating those themes into your resume or cover letter can go a long way.” More from Christianna

Start Networking Online

LinkedIn is the biggest platform for networking during the coronavirus shut down. Make sure that your profile is up-to-date and accurate. Traci, Hiring Expert at Accenture, suggests, “Make sure that you’re investing time in actually ‘networking’ and not just reaching out to people to ask for a job at their company. The big difference is that with networking, your focus is to learn from the other person and get to know them. Ask them about their experiences, their career progression, and what challenges/accomplishments they’ve had along the way. When you focus your efforts on building your network, even if there are no open positions at their company at the moment, you’ve made yourself visible and memorable for future openings.” More from Traci

Practice your digital conversation skills. Have an intentional video chat with a friend and ask them to critique you. Find the best place in your home where your lighting is good, the setting is professional, and you’re close enough to the router to get a consistent, strong connection. Once you’ve got worked out the best set-up for digital interviews, reach out to industry professionals to see if you can set up virtual networking meetings. Now is a great time to build connections.

Develop Your Skills

As you go through job listings for positions you desire, take special note of the skills required. Are there any listed that you haven’t used in years? Do they note a certain software you’re unfamiliar with? Now is a great time to grow yourself into the ideal candidate for when the hiring market picks back up again.

There are many online training and certification programs that are low or no cost. Look into MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses), EdX classes (featuring free courses from MIT and Harvard), and free Microsoft training and tutorials to get started.

Keep in mind, this isn’t forever. This is going to end and we will get through it. The economy is going to bounce back and there will be a hiring boom at the end of this season. Reach out to our hiring experts if you have any questions about using this time to get ready. We’re all going to get there together.

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